Miami were playing their first MLS game in more than a month. They had advanced past the first phase of the Club World Cup but fell 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 last week.

"Politics paused it, but football endured," said Carson, who originally hatched the idea.

Alonso's side find themselves in the semi-finals despite Mbappe still not having started a game at the tournament.

If winning the SAFF Championship in 2022 and 2024 warranted the Bangladesh women’s team an open-top bus parade, what would be a proportionally appropriate celebration for the miracle they have just pulled off in Myanmar?

"Ritu Porna is Bangladesh's Messi. There's no doubt Hamza [Choudhury] is also a good footballer. Hamza, too, is a matter of pride for our country," Kiron told reporters on Thursday. 

The Liverpool and Portugal star, 28, died along with his younger brother Andre when their vehicle veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight in the municipality of Cernadilla in Zamora province, Spain.

The Asian Cup berth not only gives Bangladesh an opportunity to rub shoulders against the top 11 teams of the continent, it also opens up their path to the qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and the Los Angeles Olympics the following year.

The Chief Adviser also hoped that this achievement would inspire the next generation and uplift the country’s stature on the international stage in the coming days.

There will be no reunion for the Bellingham family, however, with a yellow card shown to Dortmund's Jobe in the 28th minute ruling him out of the clash with big brother Jude's Real.

It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso's Madrid side and adding to a positive day, Kylian Mbappe made his return from illness, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for his first appearance of the tournament.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 3:30pm (Bangladesh time) at the Thuwunna Stadium on Wednesday.

The game finished 2-2 at full-time but at the end of an eventful extra-time Marcos Leonardo grabbed the winner and secured one of the biggest wins in Middle Eastern football history.

The UNFP has issued a scathing statement, warning that the tournament exemplifies how the relentless match schedule is pushing players to the brink, both physically and mentally.

The Rio de Janeiro outfit, who qualified for the Club World Cup thanks to their Copa Libertadores triumph in 2023, become the second Brazilian side to make the last eight after Palmeiras had already sealed their quarter-final spot.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is concerned about the lack of rest his side will get ahead of the new Premier League season and said their involvement in the Club World Cup could "destroy" them.

The scoreline told one story. The atmosphere told another.

Vincent Kompany's side will now play European champions Paris Saint-Germain in Atlanta on Saturday for a place in the last four.

“He’s an extremely dangerous player who can decide a match at any moment."

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany says that for all the fascination and romance of playing against Flamengo in Sunday's Club World Cup round-of-16 match, he expects the game to be similar to a Champions League contest.

Argentine great Messi joined PSG in 2021 from Barcelona, where Luis Enrique had coached him and several other current Inter Miami players.